La ville



nrrnn STATES Fries,

ATENT MANUFACTURE OF EXPLOSIVE COMPOUNDS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 281,565, dated July 1'7, 1883.

Application filed April 8, 1882. (No specimens.) Patented in Fiance April 6, 1881, No. 142,170; in Germany April 11,1881, No. 19,839: in Belgium April 25, 1881, No. 54,468; in England June 8, 1881, No. 2,488; in Spain August 25, 1881, and in Austria September 17, 1882, N0.18,982.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, Mano EUGENE SAN- LAVILLE and RoDoLrnE LALIGANT, both of Quinci, Department of the Rhone, France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Manufacture of Explosive Compounds, of which improvements the following specification is a full description.

This invention relates to the production of a new class of explosive compounds of such nature that while they possess much greater power than ordinary gunpowder or miningpowder, and are equal to dynamite, they can be manufactured and handled with perfect safety.

Explosive compounds, as heretofore employed for mining and military purposes, may be divided into two classes: first, those consisting of a mixture of simple or compound bodies that always have a tendency to combine chemically with each other in being con verted more or less completely into a gaseous condition under development of heat and flame, such as the various descriptions of gunpowder and mining-powders, second, those c011- sisting of a chemical combination the elements of which have a constant tendency to become dissociated under development of gas, such as nitro-glycerine. This tendency to combine in the compounds of the first class and to become dissociated in those of the second class renders both classes of explosives very dangerous in their manufacture and use.

The new or third class of explosives, forming the subject of the present invention, is characterized by the fact that the component bodies, whether simple or compound, have, when mixed, no tendency, such as above referred to, either to chemically combine with or become dissociated from each other, it being necessary, in order to bring about the one or the other re sult, to act upon the compound by means of a re agent that under the influence of heat shall transform one or more of the component bodies into a condition in which it is or they are free to operate in the manner of either the first or the second class of explosives. By means of this neutral property of the new explosive and by the method of producing the same, the dangers attendant on the manufacture of explosives of the first class are avoided, the va rious manipulations and mechanical incorporation of the ingredients of that class, which are a constant source of accidents, being dispensed with.

The dangers attendant on the production and use of the second class are also avoided by the fact that the explosive compound is not constituted as such until the moment when the abovementioned reaction is brought about by the influence of heat. Thus, for instance, if there be introduced into a blast-hole glycerine,

together with certain other bodies containing in their composition nitric acid, it will be evident that if, after tamping, the nitric acid be rendered free to combine chemically with the glycerine in the presence of a high degree of heat, nitro-glycerine will be instantaneously produced and explosion will follow. The theoretical formula for such instantaneous formation of nitro-glycerine would be as follows, primary mixture 3(NaONO NaO2(SO,) HO +C H O +(KOClO,l-3C)n, giving as first result (GNaOSOQ+n(KCl)l3(GO,)n-{-3(NO HO)IC H,O,,; and then as an explosive compound (5(l\ aOSO )+n(KGl) 3(GO,)11 0,,H, (NO,HO)+3H,O,; and as theproduct of explosion 6(NaOSO,) +n(KCl) 3(OO.,)11+ 6C0 5HO+3N+O+3H,O,. In like manner may be shown the production of picrate of potash or ammonia, gun-cotton, and the like. These primary mixtures, as shown by the formulae, are all preferably harmless, giving comparatively little or no deleterious or offensive gases by their combustion, as the elements for producing oxygen can always be present in any sufficient quantity for rendering such combustion complete.

For practically producing the mixture of the bodies containing within them the elements for forming the explosive should be effected, as nearly as practicable, in accordance with the chemical equivalents of those elements. Thus, for obtaining nitroglycerine as final product at the moment of explosion there should be mixed (A) bisulphate of potash or soda, 36.06

parts, by weight; nitrate of potash or soda, 28.60 parts, by weight; glycerine, 9.20 parts, by weight, together with a second mixture, (13,) chlorate of potash or soda, or other chlorate, fifty parts, by weight; carbonaceous matter, fifty parts, by weight; or, chlorate, fifty-five parts, by weight; carbonaceous matter, fortyfive parts, by weight.

It is not necessary that the carbon should be pure. The presence of hydrocarbons, oxygen, and even of nitrogenous matter in small quantity will not sensibly interfere with the reaction'.

In the practical manufacture of the new explosive the carbonaceous matter is added to a solution of the salt or salts employed, and

whenthe absorption is complete the mixture,

is partially dried in a stove. The glycerine is then added to the pasty mass under stirring, and the compound thus obtained is agglomerated and compressed in the form of cartridges,-which are inclosed with tarred paper. These should be colored in order to distinguish the description of carbonaceous matter employed. This may be the bran of barley or wheat or other cellulose matter, such as the fibrous tissues of sea-weed.

The ignition of these explosives may be effected by means of a Bickford fuse, without requiring any fulminating-priming. They have the peculiar property that the nature of the explosion can be greatly varied, according to the nature of the material upon or purpose to which the same are to be employed, by vary ing the quantity of the compound A relatively 3 5 to the quantity B employed. The greater the quantity of Aused the greater will be the proportion of nitro-glycerine generated.

It may be observed that heretofore amixture has been made of alkaline nitrate, sulphur, 0 and charcoal, (the elements of. ordinary gunpowder,) with small quantities of peat and hard coal, metallic sulphates, and animal or vegetable oils or tar, (which elements are said to combine at the time of firing the mixture and 4 5 form nitro-glycerine.) Such mixture forms no part of the present invention and is not cl aimed.

What we do claim is A composition for use as an explosive, consisting of ingredients such as specifiedto wit, 5o carbonaceous matter, alkaline chlorate and nitrate, alkaline bisulphate, and glycerine, or the described equivalent thereof, said materials in admixture being not themselves directly explosive by detonation, but adapted, as 5 5 the result of their reaction, to produce and immediately to explode nitro-glycerine or similar compound, substantially as described.

In witness whereof we have hereunto signed our names in the presence of two subscribing 60 witnesses.

E. SANLAVILLE.

R. LALIGANT.

Witnesses:

R0121. M. HOOPER, DE ROUGEMONT. 

